The heart of downtown Manchester may soon become an “open air marketplace.”

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Two city boards have approved a plan to shut down Hanover Street to Chestnut Street.

The idea would be to attract more people to the Queen City, especially on weekends.

Mayor Ted Gatsas said he is all for the idea.

“[It will] help the entrepreneurs on the side streets and certainly this is not something novel,” he said. “It happens in Burlington, it happens in other cities during the summer, they close down a street to bring people downtown, which is a good thing.”

The full Board of Aldermen must approve the plan. If that happens, Gatsas hopes the idea can begin in July, on Saturdays and Sundays only.